The Patient and Carer Network (PCN) is a network of volunteers in England and Wales who support and shape the work of the Royal College of Physicians.
'[The PCN] is a great opportunity to learn, share and highlight the lived experience and collective knowledge of patients and carers.'
Sam Mauger
Patient and Carer Network (PCN) chair
We help to make healthcare more sustainable
We can influence and provide the patient perspective to groups of specialist clinicians, highlighting why patient and carer expertise is important and how it can be better utilised. As part of our role in the sustainability and climate change working group, we worked to develop the Green physician toolkit to bring together evidence on this issue and suggest actions that physicians can take in their day-to-day practice.
We also contribute to journals. One of our members had an article featured in Future Healthcare Journal that provides the patient perspective on the climate health emergency.
Read the article
We help to redesign healthcare
We work with diverse teams of healthcare professionals to improve the way healthcare is delivered. PCN members were central in a series of summits aimed at transforming outpatient care. This work fed into the ‘Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care’.
Read the report
We strive to make healthcare safer
We use our lived experience to work with clinicians to create useful resources like the medicine safety checklist.
Download the checklist
We educate physicians
As well as influencing the training of physicians through contributing to the RCP education board, we also play a part in teaching physicians – both on RCP courses and externally. Two of our network members delivered a session on patient safety to resident doctors at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, using their own lived experience and insights to help frame the topic.
We support and influence the work of the RCP
The PCN is a key partner in the work of RCP specialty committees, boards and working groups. We sit on RCP journal editorial boards and contribute to Commentary magazine.
As representatives, we are able to influence and provide the patient perspective to groups of specialist clinicians, highlighting why patient and carer expertise is important and how it can be better utilised.
